Rebuilding gearboxes

Not quite sure where to put this post, this seems to be the most suitable place.

My query is regarding the gearbox in my 70SX (Strada based bottom changer, similar to the phase 1 Mk1 Turbo). It's been a little noisy the past couple of years and now it's getting much noisier (starting to sound like concrete mixer ). I feel it's only a matter of time before something goes bang in a big way, therefore I need to sort out a replacement.

Now, I have a spare gearbox that came out of my other project 70SX. However, before I removed it from the car I went to drain the oil and virtually none came out. The box' appeared to work OK, though not knowing how long it had been driven without oil and also not knowing why/ where the oil leaked out I can only assume it needs a rebuild before using. As such, does anyone know or recommend a transmission specialist in the South East, or within 100 miles of Watford? And does anyone know a rough price to have a gearbox rebuilt?

My other option is to try and find another Strada based gearbox, BUT, these are as rare as hens teeth as they were discontinued around 1989. A further option would be to upgrade to a UT Tipo based gearbox, though to do so I would need the gear-lever and linkage assembly along with the drive-shafts and also the UT flywheel.

What to do? Get my spare 70SX gearbox rebuilt or upgrade to the later Tipo based UT gearbox? Any recommendations/ pointers?

I would fit a punto gt gearbox, you can get one for next to nothing, along with a gt flywheel and clutch,

Thanks Mark. Wouldn't the Punto GT gearbox be overkill though? I'm still running a carburettor and not going for any power upgrades. Or is the Punto GT box more commonplace than a UT box?

Also, does anyone know the final drive ratios for the UT/ Punto GT box? I don't want to go too high as I'll only have 85bhp to play with.

The gt gearbox is very easy to get hold of and they are dirt cheap, they are basically the same tipo gearbox as in the uno with different ratios,

You will need to fit a uno gear selector which bolts on the top then your good to go,

You could quite easily get a gt box for 20 to 50 pounds

Thanks again Mark. I like the sound of the GT gearbox simply because being Tipo based they're a lot more plentiful (seems to be a fair few UT top changers around too. The Strada based gearboxes are now all but extinct

Yes, I know that I will need the top changer gear linkages. I'm kicking myself because a few years back I scrapped a mk2 70SX that had the Tipo based box, linkages and all the bits needed. Typically, those were the only bits I didn't keep

Looks like I am going top change now!